Brag about your state's bass fishing.

[casts_by_fly]

The best bass fishing in New Jersey is stripers in saltwater.  I can’t complain about the quality of the bass themselves as they are healthy chunky fish pretty much year round. But genuine 5 lb fish are far from common and anything over 6 is a fish of a lifetime. 
 

40 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I really respect the folks who chase largemouth up north, it really is all relative to your region and the records.  

 

A 5lb LGM in many states is equivalent to me catching a 10lb in Alabama.   Both require the same skillset, luck, and preparation on the angler's part.   

 

yeah, more or less this applies to nj. At least I have a bunch of lakes of similar quality I can pick between with similar results to avoid pressure and monotony. 

[12poundbass]

I could fish a different lake every day for a month and not drive more than 15 minutes from my house. Expand out to 30 or so minutes and you’d be close to doubling the amount of lakes. 

[slonezp]

Brag about my states fishing? LOL

[Catt]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

To quote all my buddies, “there ain’t no fish in that river”

 

 

Toledo Bend Reservoir impounded in 1969, 65 miles long, 10 miles wide, 185/190,000 acres, with 1,264 miles of shoreline. Toledo Bend was voted in the top 10 almost every year since its impoundment.

[Bluebasser86]

There's no bass in Kansas, please move along.

[WRB]

Being a native Californian I love my State, climate and terrain devecrsity is unmatched. From the High Sierra mountains to the Pacific coast ocean nowhere can match it.

Our bass fishing is a bye product not treasured by our states fishery management programs, as a result of our ideal climate to grow all Bass species is mis managed. 

The term boom & bust correctly defines our world renowned bass fishing. I am appalled how such a beautiful diverse state could be run by incompetence.

I was fortunate to be able to fish our lakes during there prime years.

Proud...yes & no!

To 

 

 

  

[islandbass]

Well, my state (Seattle area only) ain’t nothing to write home about. The only real positive is most here target trout and salmonids and as a result, bass anglers are a minority such that it’s a good thing. 
 

The eastern side of the state and southern as in the Columbia river are perhaps another story but they are out of my reach and worse yet, would require another round of “paying your dues” before it becomes fruitful — and I am not willing at this time to pursue such an endeavor. 

[Kelvin]

No contest here for two reasons.  We can fish year round for both freshwater and saltwater.  The options are solely limited to your budget and how far you are willing to go.  While most of the nation is winding down we are just getting into the better part of bass fishing.      

 

[NYWayfarer]

11 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

St. Lawrence River, Lake Erie and Ontario, Lake Champlain, the Finger Lakes. Some of the countries top bass waters are in NYS. I can catch largemouth bass in urban ponds in the state’s Capitol, or go to the Adirondacks mountains and chase smallmouth in ultra clear water with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Or I can float a river and catch both kinds of bass. There is fertile bass water all over this state. Haven’t been skunked since at least 2016. NYS is without a doubt one of the top states for bass fishing. And bass arent even the most targeted species. More for me  

What he said.

 

I would add:

 

Lots of saltwater fishing access in the lower part of the state. 
 

No alligators and little chance of running into venomous snakes.

 

 

[Deleted account]

The fishing in Southern MD is horrible, move along, nothing to see here...

[Junk Fisherman]

I've become pretty satisfied with the bass fishing in Illinois.  Newton Lake in central Illinois is often on the Bassmaster list of best lakes in the Midwest.  I love that lake.  Southern Illinois has a couple great lakes and I love the ones with a 10-HP limit.  I also have a very good cooling lake that opens on March 1st and that lake will be fantastic for the first month of the season regardless of the air temps.  Lake Michigan around Chicago is very good for smallmouth, even though I primarily fish Lake Michigan in Indiana, and there is an adjoining river and lake that have become very good over the last 5 years.  There are other lesser-known lakes that I have a lot of success on that I keep quiet about.  Learning the sleeper lakes, avoiding fishing when tournaments are being held, and just becoming a better fishermen has made me happy fishing Illinois waters.  But with all that said, I plan to get a second home in A-Jay country in about 10 years because that is just so much better.  

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, NYWayfarer said:

Lots of saltwater fishing access in the lower part of the state.

I hope the new(ish) Governor finally builds a fishing pier on the Arthur Kill...  

[Swamp Girl]

Here's what I love I about Maine: 1.3 and #1 in trees

 

Yeah, 1.3 million people with the largest percentage of old people of the 50 states and the most trees of all the states. Plus, we have a lot of ponds, bogs, lakes, and rivers. So, with fewer people and a lot of old folks and freshwater, you're less likely to have to share your fishing with other fishers. Much of the water has undeveloped shorelines and I'd much rather have trees as my backdrop than lake homes, which Mainers call camps. Additionally, unlike Wisconsin, where lake homes are often McMansions, Maine camps tend to be small, unheated, and without lawns dumping herbicides into the water. Up north and inland, they haven't even bothered to name all the lakes, just like you find in Ontario. 

 

All this adds up to quiet water with uneducated fish. Ahhhh!

[gim]

5 hours ago, islandbass said:

bass anglers are a minority such that it’s a good thing. 

 

That's kind of the case here too.  Maybe not quite to the extreme it is out there, but I would not label bass even as a top 3 species target for freshwater fishing here.  That is primarily a result of ice fishing for several months when bass are not targeted.  A lot of "older generation" anglers here are still looking to keep their catch, and that demographic doesn't target bass (thankfully).

[Catt]

D’Arbonne Lake, Bussey Break, & Caney Lake all made the Top 25 for 2022.

 

The Red River has had some historic tournaments.

 

Louisiana Delta has hosted the the Bassmaster Classic 5 times.

 

Speck-n-Red fishing rivals anywhere.

[jbmaine]

Fellow Mainer here,

  I've caught freshwater LM and salt water stripers both within 10 minutes of my house. In less than an hour from my house I've caught SM, trout, salmon perch, pickerel, crappies, etc. Head further out into the salt and I've caught blues, Pollack, cod haddock, sharks , more stripers, you name it. I can't say where I live I've got the best of anything, but, I'll never run out of something to fish for close by. 

[Swamp Girl]

25 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

That's kind of the case here too.  Maybe not quite to the extreme it is out there, but I would not label bass even as a top 3 species target for freshwater fishing here.  That is primarily a result of ice fishing for several months when bass are not targeted.  A lot of "older generation" anglers here are still looking to keep their catch, and that demographic doesn't target bass (thankfully).

Yep, a lot of walleye anglers sneer at bass.

[redmeansdistortion]

12 hours ago, Way north bass guy said:

Between all the Great Lakes ( can anyone say jumbo smallmouth)

Fact right here.  In my 35 years of fishing, I've caught countless 5lb+ smallies out of the Great Lakes and connecting waterways.  I can count the 5lb+ largemouth on one hand.  The smallies here are out of this world.  Back 20 years ago, I used to fish musky tournaments on Lake St Clair with a friend and his brother.  We'd hook into tons of smallmouth trolling big musky baits.  They'd absolutely hammer a 5 oz Bull Dawg.  

[gim]

7 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Yep, a lot of walleye anglers sneer at bass.

That's another topic for another day.  I know a few.  Now I have the comeback "well at least bass anglers don't stuff lead weights down the throats of their catch."

[TnRiver46]

7 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That's another topic for another day.  I know a few.  Now I have the comeback "well at least bass anglers don't stuff lead weights down the throats of their catch."

I’m not sure if I’d use that comeback, I would imagine it’s happened many times 

[redmeansdistortion]

13 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Yep, a lot of walleye anglers sneer at bass.

I think it's just anglers in general.  A lot of my fellow trout fishermen also sneer at bass, and a lot of musky fishermen sneer at anything that isn't an Esox.  Walleye fishermen tend to not target species they wouldn't eat, which is a shame.  Lots of guys I grew up and bass fished with now don't want to have anything to do with it.  "They don't taste good".  Bass fishing isn't about meat fishing for most of us.  Heck, some of the old timers are raised with the "I eat what I catch" mentality and will take a home a stringer full of random fish just because.  

[gim]

11 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m not sure if I’d use that comeback, I would imagine it’s happened many times 

But if they didn't get caught, did it really happen?

10 minutes ago, redmeansdistortion said:

Walleye fishermen tend to not target species they wouldn't eat, which is a shame. 

X2, 95% of them are meat hunters and would not even be targeting a walleye if the intention wasn't to keep them.  God forbid they should just fish for the sheer enjoyment of it rather than trying to fill their livewells every outing.  You can add crappie and sunfish anglers to that demographic here too.  And why are they so obsessed with using live bait all the time?  Lol its like they don't understand the concept of using artificial lures.

[Mobasser]

I can brag about Missouri's bass fishing. Our state has the White River system in southern Missouri. Many great lakes and rivers for both LM and small mouth bass.                                                   Like many bass lakes, theyve had ups and downs over the years, but most still produce well.                                     Some legendary Missouri lakes: Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Pomme De Terre, and Lake Of the Ozarks.                                               Too many rivers run through this area to name here. It's a beautiful part of our state, that offers good fishing. I love it down there.

[the reel ess]

Meh, SC is OK. The state record is over 16 lbs. But a bass over 10 is a major trophy. Depending on where you fish, there are lots of bass in the 5-7 lb. class. But you can catch largemouth and smallmouth as well as spots. We have a diverse geography from mountains to ocean.

[scaleface]

In Missouri , bass are everywhere .  One doesnt need an expensive bass boat to enjoy good fishing , Small public waters are frequent.